Switch-operating mechanism.



F. McGUIRE.

SWITCH OPERATING MEUHANIBM.

APPLICATION 11.21) ran. 19, 1910.

993,089. Patented May 23,1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

FRANK MQGUIRE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT E. KALTSCHMIDT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SWITCH-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MCGUIRE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of l/Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a switch in which provision is made for holding the switch points in position in case the switch stand is knocked out of position.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a railway switch and switch stand that embodies features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section through the stand with parts in released position. Fig. 3 is a similar view with parts in locked position.

Referring to the drawings 1 indicates a portion of a track of standard constructionwith a pair of switch points 2 coupled by the usual tie bars 3, the forward one of which is U connected by a link 4 to an upright crank rod 5. The latter is mounted in any preferred form of switch stand 6 so as to be thrown by a handle 7 whose outer end 8 is pivoted to fall into interlocking relation with a quadrant plate 9 on the stand. The rod 10 which extends beneath and beyond the switchstand 6, carries a weight 11 on its outer end. A crank 12 on a rock shaft 13 journaled transversely to the rod 10 on an adjacent tie 13, or like support, is pivotally connected at its outer end to a hanger 14 on the rod 10, the parts being so disposed that when the switch points are at either end of their throw, the pivotal connections of the rod 10 to the tie bar 3 and the crank 12 are on a straight line with the center of oscillations of the rock shaft 13, thereby preventin movement of the switch points until the r0 10 is raised. Accordingly a lifting lever 15 is fulcrumed on the rock shaft 13. The end 16 of this lever adjacent the track is adapted to underlie the rod 10, and a hollow or cupped bearing plate 17 is secured to the other end beneath the switch stand 6. The inner end of the handle member 8 is pivoted to the upper end of a push rod 18 that has sliding engagement in a suitable guide plate bearing plate 17.

To accommodate switches of different throws and to otherwise adjust it for varying conditions, the end 20 of the rod 10, is screwthreaded and is longitudinally adjustable in an apertured clip 21 on the tie bar 3 by means of thrust nuts 22. The parts are so proportioned that when the switch handle is raised and therefore unlocked from the quadrant plate of the stand, the lifting lever is moved, thus raising the weighted rod so that its pivotal connections are out of alinement and allow the switch points to be thrown. When the switch is thrown as desired, and the handle depressed so as to interlock with the switch quadrant, the lifting lever allows the weighted rod to drop into suchiposition that it cannot be shifted lonitudmally. This holds the switch points ast, and if the stand be overthrown they are still kept rigidly in position.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not wish to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with switch points and a switch stand for throwing them having a member that locks the switch when thrown, of a crank swinging in a substantially vertical plane transverse to the points. a rod pivotally connected to the crank and points to move longitudinally when the points are shifted and operated by gravity to keep the centers of its pivotal connections and of the crank in a ri ht line when the points are at either limit of their throw, and means operated by the switch locking member to hold the rod and crank pivot centers out of line when the locking member is in release position.

2. The combination with switch points and a switch stand for throwing them having a member that locks the switch when thrown, of a crank swinging in a substan tially vertical plane transverse to the points, a rod pivotally connected to the crank and points to move longitudinally when the points are shifted, and operated by gravity to keep the centers of its pivota connections and of the crank in a right line when the points are at either limit of their throw, and means operated by the switch locking 19 on the stand with its foot against the member to hold the rod and crank pivot centers out of line when the locking member is in release posit-ion, the said means being operative only when the switch is in normal erated by the locking member, and a lever,

to rock the crank operated by the push rod to lift the rod and crank when the locking member is in release position, the push rod being in operative relation to the lever when the switch is in normal relation to the points.

4. The combination with switch points, tie bars connecting them, a switch stand, a

crank rod thereon coupled to one of the tie bars to throw the points, and a handle for moving the crank rod adapted to interlock with the stand when the points are thrown, of a push rod connected to the handle, a locking rod beneath the stand pivoted at one end to the tie bar and provided at the other with a weight, a crank coupled to the rod and pivoted to swing over its center transversely to the switch points, the pivotal connections between the rod, crank and tiebar lying in a-right line when the points are at either end of their throw, and a lever for raising the crank, engaged by the push rod" when the stand is in normal position, the push rod and lever being adapted to hold the crank raised out of line with the push rod when the handle is in release position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

a FRANK MoGUIRE;

Witnesses: I i I LEWIS E. FLANDERS, OTTO F. BARTHEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

